[Open Assets] Sunken Spring Zone (s_sunkenspring-v1.3.wad)

Hello everyone! Today I am announcing the most astounding innovation in Sonic Robo Blast 2 level design to come around in years: the stupendous Sunken Spring Zone.

Featuring:

• As this is the developer's first level ever, you'll be on the cusp of what's hip and happening!
• The level literally starts in a long, empty, GFZ-themed hallway full of Crawlas. Nostalgia!
• Uses Green Hill Zone music! More nostalgia! (Seriously, I couldn't find any music that fit well.)
• Bland, rectangular rooms! After all, Minecraft says the blocky look is in these days!
• Features an exciting gimmick: crumbling platforms! Over bottomless pits!
• Every room features completely different, clashing textures because I wanted to try out a bunch of them for maximum visual excitement!
• Secrets? Alternate paths? What's that?
• Unparalleled freedom! Be sure sure to use Knuckles to climb the invisible walls scattered throughout the level!
• Includes at least one section where you're stuck on a tiny platform with an active Sharp! Tense!
• Slime trails! Slimy, but fun!
• Blaze through this amazing level designed to make you feel like you're as fast as Sonic himself due to the level being so damn short.

...

I don't think my level is quite as bad as I'm implying, but even if it isn't it's not all that better, either. I really have no excuse for posting it, but I spent enough time making it that I kind of didn't want its fate to be "sitting on my hard drive forever with no one but myself having knowledge of its existence".

Interestingly (to me, at least), you can kind of see my progress in learning how to make maps within the level itself—each room roughly coincides with me reading another tutorial article on the SRB2 Wiki and trying to implement whatever I had just learned in said room.

My guesstimate is that, as Sonic, this level should take about 1:00 on a first playthrough, and up to 1:40 if you fall off platforms a lot. The one thing I've actually found rather fun with this level is speedrunning it—it's super short so I don't get fatigued with restarting it over and over again vying for perfection, but it has enough tricky jumps and sharp turns to keep things interesting. All current records are held by Ors, at 0:22.71 for Sonic, 0:25.51 for Tails, and 0:27.22 for Knuckles.

As a final note: the name of the level isn't completely random. The "sunken spring" in question is the grassy platform in the final lava room. It was originally supposed to be an actual "spring" (not the bouncy type)—far larger, with rocks and grasses and a tiny waterfall filling a tiny lake, but (unsurprisingly) the different parts of the spring didn't all rise simultaneously. I kept the name of the level because I still liked the sound of it, even though the "spring" in question was simplified to the point of non-existence.

Anyway, I think that's everything. Uh...have fun?

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Update: Version 1.3 enables emblems and time attack. As doing so requires a new save file to be made just for this level, there are now two versions of the map to download. I'm doing this because I would certainly be annoyed if someone else's tiny, single-act zone added a superfluous extra file to my already messy-as-hell SRB2 folder.

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Unknownlight said:

Okay, that's really...odd.

For whatever reason, changing the TypeOfLevel to SP-only causes GFZ2 to be the first level in level select. Is that...supposed to happen?

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It's a bug with SRB2 itself, just bear with it.

Welcome to releases. This is pretty good work for a first level, and is nicely decorated. The main thing I'd point out as criticism about the level is the lava room; the method of getting back up, while telegraphed by the rings, is a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially because of the disadvantage it puts the player at for trying again. Additionally, the jump from the second to last to last platform in the deathpit section requires you to make the leap before it actually starts crumbling, and this isn't visually apparent; the first time somebody dies to that, it'll probably feel unfair.

You seem to understand the issues otherwise, so I'll leave it at that.

Actually pretty good for a first level. I mean, yeah, the level design itself is really bad: no multiple paths, no exploration, criminally short, but... I dunno, underneath all of that I get a sense that you actually know what you're doing. The paths seem to be laid out with some common sense and actually look like rough drafts for better, more polished rooms. You've obviously got some better level designs inside of you, you just have to spend more time in bringing them out.

Sometimes when I play newbie mapper's levels, I get this strange feeling that the map was designed by an alien level-generating machine who has maybe seen a "normal" level or two, but has no idea how they actually work or how what it is that humans enjoy about them. (If you've ever played verifiaman's levels, you know what I mean).

I don't get that from you. I guess what I'm saying is good job.

Unknownlight said:

Bland, rectangular rooms! After all, Minecraft says the blocky look is in these days!

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That kind of made me laugh, but you can make smoother edges to blocks but don't over do this otherwise lag might be created.

Unknownlight said:

Anyway, I think that's everything. Uh...have fun?

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Surprisingly I did have fun because it was quite challenging. If only some areas were less empty then I would have more fun.

Thanks for the comments and feedback!

Prime 2.0 said:

The main thing I'd point out as criticism about the level is the lava room; the method of getting back up, while telegraphed by the rings, is a bit ridiculous and frustrating, especially because of the disadvantage it puts the player at for trying again.

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I went back and forth on this a lot. I nearly decided on doing the sane thing and just putting a spring back at the beginning so that you can easily retry if you fall, but I eventually went with this way so that the elemental shield hidden right before the lava section was a better reward. I'm still not sure if that was a good decision, but it was what I went with.

(Okay, I lied when I said there were no secrets. There's exactly two: One shield and one shortcut. Still no alternate paths, of course. I'm probably going to add emblems to the level soon, just so that there's a tad more content.)

Prime 2.0 said:

Additionally, the jump from the second to last to last platform in the deathpit section requires you to make the leap before it actually starts crumbling, and this isn't visually apparent; the first time somebody dies to that, it'll probably feel unfair.

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I figured that since nearly every platform in the level crumbles, and since all the platforms are visible before you start the section, it wouldn't be confusing. Still, fair criticism. Thanks.

Ice said:

Actually pretty good for a first level. I mean, yeah, the level design itself is really bad: no multiple paths, no exploration, criminally short, but... I dunno, underneath all of that I get a sense that you actually know what you're doing.

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High praise. ^_^ Really. Thank you.

TSDude said:

Surprisingly I did have fun because it was quite challenging. If only some areas were less empty then I would have more fun.

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Glad you had fun. I'll work on it.

Unknownlight said:

I figured that since nearly every platform in the level crumbles, and since all the platforms are visible before you start the section, it wouldn't be confusing. Still, fair criticism. Thanks.

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Oh, it's fair to assume the player will know the platform will crumble, the issue was that judging the relative heights of the two platforms from a long distance, or while moving frantically on the approach because of the crumbling platforms leading up to it is difficult to do, and fairly unlikely to happen well enough to know just how quickly that last jump needs to be made.

Huh, emblems aren't just a Thing you can add to the level. Oh well, don't feel like bothering to get them to work.

Anyway, changelog for v1.2:

• The platform used to escape from the lava room no longer crumbles, so this section should be far less frustrating.
• The final crumbling platform in the deathpit section has been slightly lowered and moved closer to the previous platform.
• Fixed a glitch where jumping off the "sunken spring" too soon after landing on it kills you. Also decorated the platform a little bit, while I was at it.

By the way, what's a good way to organize FOFs, in general? I think I've figured out a pretty good system, but I still constantly forget where stuff is.

I don't know if it's a good idea to follow my method, but I always draw little indicator sectors around the fofs that pertain to certain things.

Like if I have some fofs that are all connected to a little house I made, then I draw a house-shaped sector around all of them.

Unknownlight said:

By the way, what's a good way to organize FOFs, in general? I think I've figured out a pretty good system, but I still constantly forget where stuff is.

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There are many ways to do this, my way is making the fof sectors that are close to it's target, I usually put them in groups and rely on my memory (whenever I make a level I seem to remember what is connected what and where is connected where, even if it's been a year since I touched the map).

Also emblems have to be added using the map co-ordinates (I think). You can do this by soc editor or edit the maincfg (or any other lump).

Nice map. :)

Every room features completely different, clashing textures because I wanted to try out a bunch of them for maximum visual excitement!

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Why should one be ashamed of this? I did it in my very 1st map. ^^'

The secret is if you manage to communicate your idea. In some maps, the player figures out he's having a tour in a series of themes. In other maps, the player sees a complete purposeless clash of textures.

You can make a map of a forest that was took over by machines and chemical stuff. If you transmit this idea pretty well, the player will find meaning in it.

Slime trails! Slimy, but fun!

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YAY!

Let me drop some tips:

- Slime trails are kinda unavoidable if map sectors don't use rectangular vertices (90°). If you want to remove some of them, try to swing/move the vertex a little bit and save the map with Zenone normal build. If the shape is irregular, no-one will notice you moved the vertices.

- I saw you used very thick thok-barriers for the U-turns. Try to avoid it. Okay, your map is small, but if it were big, you would get those infamous hall-of-mirrors (HOMs). I stand slime trails, but hall-of-mirrors is just plain disturbing. I keep my thok-barriers between 64 and 128 FU thick.

As to control sectors: I used to make rectangular control sectors for FOFs and triangular for actions. They are placed close to the affected area. Those that affect entire map are placed in a strategic position of the map. The best examples amongst my maps are Lift Bridge Zone and Water Plant Zone. Feel free to open them and mess around.

I liked this. Found a shortcut to lava-room and green shield. I liked specially water room with floating platforms and the spiky robot. Could you fix the elevator at the end? There is invicible wall and room without anything inside it. And I´d like to have time-attack and emblems too.

Thanks. So it sounds like the way I'm organizing things is fine, I just have to get better at remembering where I put stuff.

Ezer.Arch said:

Slime trails are kinda unavoidable if map sectors don't use rectangular vertices (90°). If you want to remove some of them, try to swing/move the vertex a little bit and save the map with Zenone normal build. If the shape is irregular, no-one will notice you moved the vertices.

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I'm not exactly sure what you mean, sorry. The worst spot in my map when it comes to slime trails is the above and below of the elevator room; focusing just on that room, how would I minimize slime trails?

Ezer.Arch said:

I saw you used very thick thok-barriers for the U-turns. Try to avoid it. Okay, your map is small, but if it were big, you would get those infamous hall-of-mirrors (HOMs). I stand slime trails, but hall-of-mirrors is just plain disturbing. I keep my thok-barriers between 64 and 128 FU thick.

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I didn't even realize the size of thok barriers made a difference. Thanks. (Wait, what's up with the massive thok barrier at the start of ACZ, then?)

Ezer.Arch said:

As to control sectors: I used to make rectangular control sectors for FOFs and triangular for actions.

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That's a great idea. I'll definitely remember that for the future. Thanks!

Ors said:

I liked this. Found a shortcut to lava-room and green shield. I liked specially water room with floating platforms and the spiky robot. Could you fix the elevator at the end? There is invicible wall and room without anything inside it. And I´d like to have time-attack and emblems too.

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Glad you liked it! :)

The invisible wall is there on purpose. One, it prevents people from getting off the elevator before it brings the player to their destination (setting something up so that the elevator returns to the ground if it detects the player has fallen off without it returning to the ground if it's already reached its destination is too complicated for a beginning mapper like me). Two, the invisible wall prevents the player from entering "the room with nothing in it". That area is the space between the lava room and the green hallway above it, connected by the elevator. I have a very good reason for not allowing the player to access that area. Try nocliping through the invisible wall and heading backward. You should see pretty quickly what I'm trying to hide.

I'm not sure how to do time attack, but I definitely want to do emblems (I know exactly where I want to put them and everything!) Until then, try to beat my record of 27 seconds (Sonic). ;D

Try to add this to main cgf:

Maincfg Category
NumEmblems = 3
Gamedata = s_sunkenspring.dat

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It would maybe work if possible. =D

And I beat your time.

That was quick Ors...

Thanks, but I can´t do that as Knuckles. My record with Knux is 0:29.8x

Goddammit. Are we taking the same path and you're just better than me, or did you find a shortcut I haven't?

My route is: Thok through the shortcut path; in lava room, jump onto the first platform, thok to third platform, thok to fifth platform, then continue onward; in the deathpit section, jump to second platform, then spindash-jump to the goal.

I have ALMOST same! I just jump in lava-room to unfalling platform, final platform and out of the room.

Improved my time!

Ors said:

I have ALMOST same! I just jump in lava-room to unfalling platform, final platform and out of the room.

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Well, good to know I know my own level, at least. Now that I've watched the speed runs on your YouTube channel I'm not surprised how badly you beat me. I at least feel satisfied in myself that I didn't miss any big shortcuts.

...Wait, you just cut off yet another second? Arrrgh!

Anyway, v1.3 is up. Emblems added, time attack enabled, a few texture glitches fixed, the waterfall now uses a better sound effect. I'm not very happy with the placement of Knuckles's emblem, but other than that everything's fine. Thanks for the help in getting that working!

The wadfile with the time attack and emblems needs to be renamed. It won't load if there are spaces in the name or something like that.

TSDude said:

The wadfile with the time attack and emblems needs to be renamed. It won't load if there are spaces in the name or something like that.

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Ah, my bad. Thanks. Fixed.